


Coming In With The Tide

by Anon4Us



Series: Change of Current [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Free! Kink Meme, Gen, Iwatobi!Rin, Samezuka!Rei, pairing working along into the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2013-10-15
Packaged: 2017-12-29 13:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anon4Us/pseuds/Anon4Us
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The bluehead had his back to him, wearing the Samezuka’s school jacket, but he had on a swimsuit on, black legging with blue stripes along the side. That didn’t mean Nagisa didn’t know it was Rei. He didn’t turn around at the sound of his name, but the short boy saw Nagisa move at them and pointed him out to Rei. Still, Rei didn’t turn around to see him as Nagisa stood beside him.</p>
<p>In which Samezuka Academy and Iwatobi High School are friendly rivals and have a joint practice in which Nagisa sees Rei again, they swim and Rin is a jerk</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming In With The Tide

Being on the Samezuka Swim Team, one didn’t spend all their time in the pool. Majority of the time, they do, Swimmers would be given a different workout plans and they would have to work on different strokes and techniques to build up on their speed for races. Their Olympic level coaches would help each one of them on their strokes, diving into the pool and best ways to push-off the wall when they were making a turn. The amount of time they would spend in the pool depends on if they were a sprinters or distance swimmers. Sprinters would spend at most perhaps 2 to 3 hours, focusing themselves on the drills and specialized laps for about 5000 meters. Distance swimmers could be in the pool until they do about 12 miles for most practices.

 

But to be a high class swimmer, one needed the balance. They had to do weight training to build up strength in the upper body to help them move through the water which is needed for high speeds. After all Olympic swimmer are known for having those broad shoulders and powerful upper bodies. Most would lift weights increase their strength through their whole body, doing it about four days a week for about an hour or hour and half, working every muscle. But while it is important to build up that strength, it is ideal that a swimmer must be flexible. They are moving those shoulders over and over in quick motions and it could easily be pulled and same with legs if one could get too much or too hard as examples. Some swimmers take up yoga and massages to work on this aspect.  Massages are very important not only in working on flexibility, but aids in recovery of their body from over working due to strenuous workouts. Ice baths are nice as well as they reduce swelling and soreness.

 

Covering strength and flexibility, a swimmer must have high endurance to stretch themselves to the finish line. Swimmers can pick either running or running their bikes. Each of them had their pros and cons, but with the Samezuka Academy Swim Team, they all run as a group.

 

Rei did enjoy their runs and if he wasn’t a swimmer, he swore he would have been on some track team. There was some beauty in the sport after all.

 

While the distance at times can get to them, the boys do enjoy the time outside with fresh air that wasn’t filled with the smell of chlorine. They could run with their friends, happily chat about their daily lives and any plans they had for the day and/or the upcoming weekend. Rei hadn’t really made friends with anyone on the team, nor anyone in his class yet.  But there was one person that took to being friendly with him as they ran.

 

“Joint practice? With Iwatobi?” he asked as he slowed down to a stopped.

 

His roommate nodded his head as he slowed down, bended over as he tried to get his breath. He was a short boy about the same height as…him, a memory Rei bit back into the deep part of his mind, with short, straight gray hair, all nicely cut with bangs out of his teal blue eyes. Nitori Aiichiro was nice enough, chatty, but sometimes it was nice to have a tad bit of noise when it wasn’t his own thoughts in his mind.

 

“Yeah, they had been doing it for a few years. Samezuka and Iwatobi have a friendly rivalry so the school had offered them use of our indoor pool when the weather isn’t warm enough for them to use their own,” said Aiichiro, “They had a real good team last year. I heard their first years won them some medals in the butterfly and freestyle, Nanase Haruka, Tachibana Makoto, Mastuoka Rin, who are all second years now. They only have one first year member this year, Hazuki Nagisa.

 

He could feel his eye twitch when Nagisa’s name was mention as Aiichiro continue to chatter away.

 

“They all have girly names-“

 

Rei turned to Aiichiro as he narrowed down his eyes as the shorter boy stop his sentence right in the middle of his tracks, “Heh…sorry.”

 

A sigh escape his lip as Rei adjusted his glasses, “You sure know a lot about them. Suppose it is best to know our adversaries.”

 

“Well…they aren’t really bad guys. They are strange, but really close friends. I saw them in this tournament a few years ago and they were just great,” said Aiichiro, “My team didn’t do as well, but they were terrific, it was amazing to watch the four of them in the pool. No surprise they are doing so well even now.”

 

No surprise whatsoever. Rei frown as he remembered the day of the race. All the other swim clubs around and how all the school swam against each other. That day plagued him and it was best to forget the whole thing.

 

“I do not see the point in idolizing another school’s team. You should focus on your own strengths and not others, Aiichiro-san,” said Rei, started to jog again.

 

“Hai, but I am not good like you and other members on the team,” said Aiichiro, “I like to watch others swim and just hope one day I can get to be as good.”

 

Bile, there was a bit of bile in his throat as Rei wanted to throw up at those words. But he kept on a stone cold face as he moved on, “You shouldn’t focus on others so much. Comparing your skills to others won’t improve on them.”

 

“You can say that because you are really good. You are the best swimmers out of all the first years,” said Aiichiro.

 

“Only due to hard work,” said Rei, “If you apply yourself, you can be the same.”

 

“I doubt that,” said Aiichiro, laughed as if it was such a funny idea as they joined up with the rest of the team.

 

“Your self-deprecation isn’t beautiful,” spoke Rei, glanced down at Aiichiro who merely stared at the taller classmate with wide eyes of shock at the words. If there was something Rei hated about his roommate it was how easily he seemed to belittle himself.

 

He was the weakest link once, but he rose up from it.

 

Rei didn’t say anything else as he picked up the pace to add some distance between Aiichiro and himself.

 

* * *

 

 

“Nagisa…are you ok?”

 

Nagisa sat on the bench in the middle of the Samezuka’s changing room. He had on his suit on, goggles in hand and everyone else was out in the pool area. He should get up and join them, be part of the team as he always wanted again. To swim with everyone once more had been his dream.

 

He had all been gung ho for the joint practice. He wanted to throw himself into the swim team, to do anything to forget about that night. It should have been easy, after all they hadn’t seen each other for years and there shouldn’t be any kind of connection, any kind of feeling still. Nagisa tried to as he moved through school and hung around the others with that sweet sugar grin on his face. But it was all a mask, an act for the others as his heart and whole body ache.

 

The image of their last meeting plagued him almost every day since that night. What could he have done to cause Rei to act like that with him? Did he not write enough letters? Should he have tried harder? He had stop writing the letters after six months when he didn’t get a respond and gave up. He figured Rei moved on and it was hard for kids their age to keep up with letters anyway.

 

He himself didn’t have the attention to keep up letters. To see people in person was easier for him to do.

 

“Of course, Mako-chan!” said Nagisa, his smile pasted back on as he jumped up to his feet, “Lets go and show them what in store for them.”

 

He didn’t know if he fooled Makoto or not. The taller boy merely smiled as he nodded his head as they walked out of the changing room. Samezuka Academy sure had five star pool and Haruka and Rin stared at it, both looked like they wanted to jump right into it for their own reason. Nagisa had to wonder if either of the boys actually tried to get into the elite school. Both of them would have gotten in for sure. There were a lot of other students around, some of them staring at them and others were in the pool.

 

“I’m surprise you hadn’t dive in,” said Makoto as they joined the other two beside the pool.

 

“We don’t want to look like idiots…or at least, I didn’t want to give off a bad impression,” said Rin, shrugged his shoulder before he glanced down at Haruka, “Him on the other hand.”

 

Haruka continue to crouch by the poolside, staring longing at the water in the pool.

 

“Haru-chan hasn’t changed at all,” laughed Nagisa.

 

It was nice to see some things can never change. It made things easier as Nagisa looked around and wonder when they were going to stare as Makoto and Rin tried to make sure Haruka didn’t dive into the pool before things started. Though, it was more Mako as Rin stood there and watch the struggle. It was great, Nagisa was thankful to have found his old team mates again and they were on the same swim team again.

 

Yeah, everything was great…wasn’t it?

 

His eyes moved around and it is when he spotted it. Above the crowds that surround the pool, he spotted the lone blob of bright blue hair. His eyes widen as he couldn’t be sure as he took to moving at the crowd as he got closer. His eyes weren’t lying as he spotted those red frames.

 

“Rei-chan…” whispered Nagisa before he found his voice, “Rei-chan!”

 

The bluehead had his back to him, wearing the Samezuka’s school jacket, but he had on a swimsuit on, black legging with blue stripes along the side. That didn’t mean Nagisa didn’t know it was Rei. He didn’t turn around at the sound of his name, but the short boy saw Nagisa move at them and pointed him out to Rei. Still, Rei didn’t turn around to see him as Nagisa stood beside him.

 

“Rei-chan, I didn’t know you were going here?” said Nagisa, smiled up at him.

 

There was no smile on the other boy as he scowled, “I didn’t tell you.”

 

“You should have, because we are going to swim together today. Isn’t that great?”

 

“You know, Rei-san?” asked the other boy.

 

Nagisa flashed him a smile, tried to keep it on as Rei’s cold nature continue hit the sunshine wall he built up, “Yeah, we use to be in the same class in Elementary school. Even in the same swim club. We were the bestest of friends!”

 

The other boy stared with wide eyes as he turned to Rei, who didn’t seem to be affected by all of this. Why didn’t he smile? Why didn’t he say anything at all, didn’t acknowledge him in some sort of sign of friendship. What happen to Rei to cause this?

 

“I’m Hazuki Nagisa, it is nice to meet Rei-chan’s friend.”

 

“Ah…nice to meet you,” said the other boy as they shook hand, “Nitori Aiichiro…so you and Rei-san swam together?”

 

“It was years ago, and only for a few months so I wouldn’t call us friends,” said Rei as he snapped himself into the conversation before Nagisa could even respond to the question, “And we didn’t really swim together, not like how he does with the others.”

 

There was that ice in his tone as he spoke, just like that night. Nagisa stared up as Rei before he spoke up, “How can you say that?”

 

“We weren’t,” said Rei, the emotionless face turned into anger in a fluid motion, “We were classmates and swam at the same club, that is all we have in common.”

 

Didn’t he remember the sleepovers they had, running to swim club and hanging out at each other houses doing homework? Nagisa remembered the number of times they ran away from his older sisters and how Rei’s older brother took them ice skating a couple times even. How could he forget all the great times? Nagisa didn’t and it was painful for him to remember them when Rei was acting like he didn’t matter or that he didn’t care about their friendship. A chance to respond didn’t come as a whistle was blew to signal the start of the joint practice. Nagisa cast one more longing look at the other before he jogged over to his own swim team.

 

“Was that Rei?” asked Makoto once he joined him.

 

“Yeah…he goes here now,” whisper Nagisa with a nod of the head. He didn’t want to talk about it, but on the other hand, he did wonder what their own thoughts of their former team mate was. After all, they were Rei’s friends too.

 

Rin snorted, “His father must have cash out some change to get him into this kind of school. No way they would let someone that could swim only one stroke in if they didn’t.”

 

“Rin, you know Rei was a good swimmer back then,” hissed Makoto as they watch the Samezuka captain talk to his team, “You can’t judge him for the past.”

 

“He sunk doing the backstroke, who ever heard of such a thing.”

 

“Rin-chan, you can’t say such things about him,” said Nagisa, “Rei-chan looked up to you and you act like this.”

 

Rin merely frown as the captain walked over to them. Nagisa didn’t pay much attention to what was said as his mind drifted over to Rei as he watch the bluehead take off his glasses and pulled on his goggles. He remembered how blind the other boy was without his glasses and the fun he had when he played keep away with Rei’s glasses. But his thoughts moved to Rin and why was he so sore to Rei. He remember how friendly he was, how he offered both of them advice on their strokes to improve them.

 

Nagisa remember how much Rei looked up to Rin with wide eyes as he watch the redhead swim his stroke, their shared butterfly stroke. While he was the first to follow the three of them around, Rei came around in time. He was so bright with all these swimming facts and ideas. Not even Rin, who had dreams of going to the Olympics, knew about them half the time. What had changed in the years since they had last seen each other?

 

Diving into the water once it was his turn didn’t help clear his mind. While he didn’t have the same connection with water like Haruka, Nagisa like to feel the friends in it as they moved through. They work together to be the best, each one doing their part whether is was in the pool or outside of it. It was something Nagisa believed in and continue to think that. There as they shared the same lane, they were with him as they swam together for the team.

 

But it didn’t feel the same as he finished his lap, breaking the surface for a breath of air. He pulled his goggles off and swam to the side as Rin turned was up. Taken a hold of the ledge, Nagisa turned his body around and stared as not only Rin took position, but Rei as well. Right next to each other. No longer was his heart beating fast in his chest from the exercise, but from the fear and unsureness of these two butterfly swimmers.

 

The looks that were exchanged between the two of them looked like they were about to kill each other, not merely swim against the other. Given that is it Rin, Nagisa wasn’t quite so surprise, but Rei...he was never that competitive before.

 

When they dove in, Nagisa held his breath as he watch. Their forms, they were perfect. Quickly, he pulled himself to get a better view to watch how things were going down further into the pool. It was almost the same kind of shock as they both power down the lane, way ahead of everyone else. It was as if they were the only ones there and that they were actually racing, putting their whole heart and soul into each stroke. Rin held the lead, his arms pushed him along, but once they took to tumbling around to swim back, Nagisa felt his mouth open in shock as Rei pushed off and edge himself ahead of Rin.

 

Rin had to have notice as he started to put more strength and power into his stroke to catch up. But that edge from push against the wall gave a boost to Rei that he didn’t give up as he was the first to hit the wall before Rin could.

 

Was this shocking? Nagisa didn’t know how the others reacted, but he could see the dismay on Rin’s face as he pulled off his swimcap and goggles. He never thought he would see the day that Rei could swim faster than Rin. It wasn’t as if he doubt his friend’s ability. It was just...when they were little and the difference back then between the two butterfly swimmers…

 

But, maybe things weren’t the same.

 

Rei didn’t think so as he climbed out of the pool and said something he didn’t quite catch. Whatever it was, it pissed of Rin enough to start shout curses from the pool.

 

Nagisa knew this isn’t how friends were suppose to act, Rei wasn’t suppose to act like this.

 

_“Rei-chan...Why?”_

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I will get these two together some how. They might be emotional, they might be pighead, but these two will get together or I swear heads will roll.
> 
> Yeah...This part was hard to come up with XD I just hope it is enjoy as much as the first part.


End file.
